Insulation Blanket for
Hot Water Heaters

Insulation blanket or insulation jacket is used on water tank
heaters to reduce the standby heat loss or energy wasted during water
heating process.

If you have an older electric unit, buying hot water heater
blanket makes sense. To be sure is your water heater wasting
energy and un-insulated properly, touch the outer surface. If it feels
warm, your tank needs an additional insulation. We suggest you buying
an insulation blanket with the
higher "R" value (at least R-8).

Some manufacturers like AO Smith or Bradford White are
designing water heaters to meet or exceeds National Appliance
Energy
Conservation Act standards with the respect to insulation and standby
loss requirements, so using additional insulation is unnecessary.

Every manufacturer explains rules in their manuals when
covering water
heater with
insulation jacket, so warranty in some cases can be voided if
you don't follow the instructions.

We recommend using these advices so you will not encounter
problems like restriction of the air flow, heater malfunction or even a
fire.

Here are general instructions that cover important points on
the unit
that can be affected by improper water heater blanket installation, so
provide enough space for the access, combustion air flow
or proper work:

Draft hood (gas units)

Thermostat

Controls

TPR valve

Water heater access door

Shut off devices

Don't cover safety tags with warnings and operating
instructions

Insulation blankets are on a long run good investment,
especially
these days when we have a rising energy costs. You can
reduce your energy consumption by up to 10 % and make your
unit greener with CO2 reduction as
well.

You
can buy water heater blanket at Home Depot, Lowe's or any other
hardware store, or
online like Amazon. For less than 20 bucks you can buy a jacket with
the size that easily
covers 60 gallon tank water heater, two inch thick, made of fiberglass
with R-6.7 insulating value and with the included adhesive tape for
easy installation.

Installing
Insulation Blanket - Step by Step Guide

To
install insulation
blanketis
DIY home project that doesn't require
any special skills. We suggest insulating hot water pipes also
so together can work more efficiently.

Working
on electric units is easier than gas or oil fired appliances. Be
careful not to obstruct the flue at the top and burner area. Failure to
do so could be very costly for you and dangerous.

Unless you buy pre-cut hot water heater blanket, you just need
an
adhesive type and scissors to cut out the areas so you
can clear above mentioned elements.

Clean up the dust and wash the top surface so tape
can adhere.

Take the measurement of the water heater.

Use
scissors or utility knife to cut the insulation blanket to water heater
size, but be sure to make it little bit longer (the length of the
insulation strip should be the same length as the circumference of the
heater, plus 3" for example).

Wrap the insulation horizontally and around the unit.

Always try first to see if the water heater blanket
fits correctly.

Use duct tape to seal the seams where they meet.

Once wrapped and taped, find where the controls and
valves are and make cutouts.

If
you need an access to thermostat, cut a three-sided flap so
the
top edge is still attached, so you can always tuck it back.

For elements like drain valve, TPR valve make cutouts
so they can be exposed.

Cut a cap of the insulation blanket to fit the top of
the electric units, but never install it on gas appliances.

Tape remaining joints and seams.

Note: With the additional water heater insulation, do not set
the
thermostat over 130 F as the wiring may overheat.

Installing
a rigid insulation under the tank can also save you some energy and
money. Think about it when installing a new heating unit.